Straw-cutting machine



' M m a Sheets-Sheet 1'.

" E. D; GREER Straw Cutting Machine.

Patented Dec. 14-, I880.

ITJVESSES MPH-ENS. FHOTO-LHHOGRAPHFJI, WLSNINGTON, C-

l 2 Model) E. 1). GEE-BR.

Straw Cutting MaQdhine.

' Patented Dec. 14,1880.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N. PETERS, FHDTO-LITHOGRAPKER. WASNIN'G'TOM D C,

3 Sheets-Sheet 3'.

N. PETE-RS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPKER. WASHINGTON, D, C.

(ModeL) E D GREER Straw (luttlng Machlne No 235,523 Patented Dec 14,1880.

I i 1 V 1 G PATENT EDWIN D. GREER, OF GREERS, VIRGINIA.

STRAW-CUTTING IMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,523, dated December 14, 1880.

Application filed July 21, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it mayconcem:

Beit known that I, EDWIN D. GREEK, of Greers, in the county of Grayson and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straw-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declarethat the following. is a full,.clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of thesame, reference .being haduto theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in-which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a staw-cutting machine embodyingmy improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the right side of the machine. Fig. 3 is ,aside elevation of the. left side of the machine. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a sec-- tional plan of the hinged bottomof the box.

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Fig. 6 is a sectionalpla'n of the. rearend of said hinged bottom. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the carrier or slide D and the angle-lever connected to its inner face; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the front end of the hinged bottom and the angle-lever Q.

This invention has relation to straw-cuttin g machines; and it consists in the. improved features of construction and combination hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in theclaims.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A designates the frame. of the machine, andB the feed-trough or cutting-box of the same. O' G designates guide-rods, secured at their upper and lower ends in the trans- .verse pieces of the frame A. Carriers D D having perforated flan ged plates D slide upon the guide-rods O G.

A lever, F, carrying a knife, H, is pivoted atE at one end to the carrier D, and is provided with a stud, F, at the other end, which works in a slot, G in a lever, G, provided with a toothed segment, I, pivoted at E to the carrier D and engaging with a vertical rack, K, secured to the front of the frame A at}the right side, as shown in Fig. 1. This manner of connecting the segmentI with the rack K furnishes a variable fulcrum for the lever G, whereby the said lever is adapted to work man approximately horizontal line, instead of in an arc of a circle, which would be the case were it pivoted to a fixed fulcrum.

L indicates a lever slotted near each end, pivoted to the upright P and connected, through its slotted ends, with the carrier D and a sliding rest, M, by pins N.

A transverse lever, Q, is fulcrumed at R to the front of the frame A, and is held to place by a guard, R at the opposite side of the frame.

A rod, W,connects the lever Q with the lower end of the carrier D, and a rod, W connects the levers G and Q, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

The end of the lever Q is bent at a right atT-to receive a stud on the lower end of the .link V, connected at its upper end with the crank-wheel U.

The crank-wheel U is mounted on a transverse shaft, Y, journaled in bearings Z, Fig. 4, and one end of said shaft Y is provided with a pinion, A, which intermeshes with a gear-wheel, B, by means of which power may be applied to drive the machine.

The sliding support or rest M works in vertical .ways P in the uprights P P of the frame.

The upper edge and a portion of the front of the sliding rest M is faced with metal, as at a. This metal face takes the place of the customary lower knife employed in this class of machines.

To the upper edge of the sliding rest M, at each side, are pivoted the side extensions, 0, of a hinged bottom, D, having pivots E, that rest in the hangers d in the sides of the feed trough or box of the machine.

Between the extensions 0, and journaled therein, is a transverse roller, F, the journal R of which projects through a slot, b, in the right side of the box, and the journal R at the opposite end enters a recess, 0, Fig. 4, so that the roller F may rise and fall with the sliding rest M when the machine is operated.

In the rear of the hinged or pivoted bottom D, and journaled in hangers d, secured to the bottom edges of the sides of the box, is a roller, G. The journals E at the rear of the bot- D also occupy the hangers (1. Over the rollers F and G, and completely encircling the hinged bottom D, is an endless feed-belt, H.

Springs I, of wire, having one end driven into the side of the box, are coiled around a pin, 0, on the box, and provided with a loop at the lower end, which loop is slipped over the journal of the roller G, a spring, I, being used for each journal, and renders it automatically adjustable in its bearings, and causes it to keep the belt H always tight.

The shaft of the roller G has mounted on one end a ratchet-wheel, K, which is operated step by step by means of a pawl, M, pivoted to a lever, N, fnlcruined on said shaft, and connected, by means of a rod, 1, with an angle-lever, Q, pivoted at the apex of the angle to the side of the feed-box, as atf, and loosely connected to the journal R of the roller F. The lever N and the angle-lever Q are each provided with a series of apertures, T, by means of which the connecting-rod P may be shifted to vary the throw of the pawl M, and thus increase or diminish the travel of the feed-belt H to regulate the feed and determine the lengths into which the hay or straw is to be out.

A pressure-roller, U, is mounted in pivoted bearings V, secured one at each side of the box, and thejournals of said roller U rise and fall in vertical notches h (see Fig. 2) in the up per edges of the box.

Springs W, of wire, have their lower ends driven into the sides of the box, are coiled around the pivots of the bearings V, and their upper ends bear down upon the bearings V and press the roller U upon the hay or straw as it is being fed to the knife.

The journal of the roller U is provided at its left end with a ratchet-wheel, U, and a perforated bent lever, U, is fulcrumed on the journal of the roller U, and carries a pivoted pawl, U, at its upper end. For convenience, the upper end of the lever U and the ratchetwheel U are let into a recess, g, in the face of the side of the box, and the forward end of the pivoted bearing Y at the opposite side is bent and let into a similar recess, g.

A perforated angle-lever, W, is fnlcrumed through the apex of the angle to the left side of the box, as at i, Fig. 3, and its forward arm, W, is slotted and connected by a pin, W, to the inner face of the carrier I).

A red, W connects the lever U with the angle-lever W, and the perforations T in said levers permit the rod \V' to be shifted to vary the throw of the pawl U to regulate the forward feed of the pressure-roller U.

A spring, Y, is secured at W to the stationary portion of the bottom of the feed-trough, and is connected at its forward end by a link, Y, to the sliding rest or support M, its object being to return the sliding rest M to a normal position after the cutting-stroke has been made by the knife.

The machine as herein shown and described is adapted to be operated either by hand or by power.

When operated by hand the link V should be disconnected from the lever Q at T, and

the link Y should be connected to the spring Y. When the lever G is depressed the carriers l) 1) will descend on the guide-rods C C, and the knife II will be carried down upon the hay or straw. At the same time the lever L will be operated by the carrier D, and will cause the sliding rest M to ascend in the ways I and carry up with itthe spring Y, hinged bottom I), and belt H, and the journal R of the roller I will raise the forward arm of the pivoted angle-lever Q, which, through the rod P, drives back the lever N and with it the pawl M, which engages with the ratchet: wheel K. Also, at the same time the descending carrier D to which the arm W of the angle lever W is connected, operates said angle-lever W to throw back the lever U at its lower end, and carry the pawl U forward on the ratchet-wheel U When the pressure is released from the lever G the spring Y will draw the sliding rest M back to its normal position, and the several parts of the mechanism above enumerated as having been moved by the downward stroke of the lever G will be given a reverse movement, and will be returned to their normal position by the spring Y, except the pawls M and U, which will cause the ratchet-wheels K and U to be operated to force the feed-belt H forward and to rotate the pressure-roller U in a forward direction to feed the hay or straw to the knife.

When the machine is to be operated by power the spring Y is disconnected from the sliding rest M, and the link V is connected to the lever Q. The motion imparted to the crank-wheel U is communicated to the lever Q, and this lever Q, being connected to carrier D and the lever G by the rods W and W causes the knife H and sliding rest M to be operated as it rises and falls.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination with the cutter-carrying lever F, spring Y, rack K, and the sliding support or rest M, the rods W W, pivoted lever Q, the hand-lever G, and carriers D D, and the lever L, for operating the sliding rest M, substantially as specified.

2. In a straw-cuttin g machine provided with the sliding rest M and mechanism for operating the same, the hinged bottom D, connected to said sliding rest M and encircled by the endless belt II, traveling on the rollers F and G, the latter being provided with the ratchetwheel K, in combination with the perforated lever N T, carrying the pawl M, the rod P, and the pivoted angle-lever Q, connected with the journal R of the roller F, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a straw-cutter provided with the sliding rest M, levers F, G, L, and Q, and rods W W, constructed and operating as described, the hinged bottom D, encircled by the endless belt 11 upon the rollers 'F G, the ratchetoperating substantially as and for the purposes IO wheel K, operated by the pawl M on the perset forth.

forated lever N, connected, by the rod P, with In testimony whereof I affix my signature the angle-lever Q, in combination with the in presence of two witnesses.

pressure-roller U, provided with the ratchetwheel U and supported in pivoted spring- EDWIN D GREER' bearings V W, the lever U carrying pawl Witnesses:

U rod W an gle-lever W W spring Y, car- F. J. LUNDY,

rier D, rack K, andearrier D constructed and N. E. YOUNG. 

